Unforeseen Circumstances
by TonyJC
Summary: The 501st Legion has invaded the world of Pachonnia in an effort to liberate it from the Separatists' iron grip. Facing certain victory, a Clone Captain and a Jedi Padawan are sent to scout the last enemy stronghold, but the mission, like always, won't end up as planned.
1. Scouting

Unforeseen Circumstances

 **Disclaimer:** Star Wars and its characters belong to their respectful creators. I own nothing and make no money off this.

This is also my first fanfic, so please, absolutely nitpick everything I do wrong in this. No, I'm not joking, please do.

* * *

Imminent victory! After Separatist forces invaded the peaceful world of Pachonnia, the Republic sent General Skywalker and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano to liberate the planet and restore Republic control over the system. Now, as the Separatists rout and regroup before the advance of the Republic, Anakin Skywalker marches towards their last stronghold in an effort to rid the planet of the Separatists, once and for all!

* * *

 _This march is going to kill me_ thought Ahsoka Tano as she walked alongside the troopers of the 501st Legion. It wasn't that her feet were beginning to hurt from the six hour march towards the last Separatist stronghold on the planet or that her backpack was weighting down on her, it was the fact that **nothing** has happened yet. No droid ambush, no traps, no counter-offensive, nothing. The droids were still regrouping after their failed defensive of the planet and now all she had to do to occupy herself is to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

Rex had mentioned something about this a long time ago: _This is life, isn't it? This is what we signed up for. Hurry up and wait. Long stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror._ He said just before he challenged her to play darts. Of course, she thrashed the entire Torrent Company at it. It was two years ago, yet it felt like a lifetime. So many things have changed, including the man who had said those words…

 _Speaking of Rex_ she thought to herself as she scanned the lines of troopers that flanked the walkers. The armored column was currently advancing on a cleared highway with heavy vegetation on both sides on their way to an FOB. _Perfect for an ambush, good thing the tinnies are still running._ After a few minutes of trying to find him among the lines of troopers, she concluded that he must be inside of one the walkers with Skyguy, probably preparing a plan for the decisive battle that will give the boot to the Separatists off this planet.

Ahsoka briefly felt disappointed that she couldn't talk with him, but she quickly dismissed the feeling. After all, Rex has become less and less talkative as the war progressed, but she knew which one affected him most.

Umbara. Whenever she brought up the topic of the Umbaran homeworld, he simply grew silent and from there she could sense both distress and regret radiating off of him. After that, he would excuse himself and that was the end of it.

She knew the story of what happened in Umbara, and she was sure every Jedi and clone trooper also knew as the news took everybody by surprise. Master Krell's bold and suicidal orders, his harsh and strict treatment of the clone troopers, and ultimately, his betrayal to the Republic. He had killed a large number of clone troopers from both the 501st and the 212th before he was captured, and yet, the death toll rose far higher when they found out his orders were just rubbish he made up to cripple the campaign on Umbara.

Ahsoka was shocked when she had heard from Fives that Krell was executed rather than sent to Coruscant to stand trial. After she voiced her opinion, Fives had countered it with the fact that the remaining Umbarans were converging on the airfield in an effort to retake it and Krell was far too dangerous to be set loose by the Umbarans if they succeeded in retaking the facility.

When she heard that the tragic friendly fire incident was orchestrated by Krell, she had no doubt that he had become Dooku's lapdog. And of course, realizing what was going on, it was the brave Captain who had taken off his helmet and sprinted into the middle of the crossfire to stop the bloody fratricide. And when it came down to execute Krell, it was Dogma, not Rex, who killed him.

She knew why he was like this. He felt guilty because he didn't have the courage to execute his superior, and now his brother had to be sent into Republic custody for it. Adding insult to injury, they've never heard from him again. Not only that, but he also blamed himself for placing his faith on the turncoat and allowing his brothers to suffer from it. He was hurting, that much was clear, even if he did well to hide it during his missions. Maybe she could offer to teach him meditation after they finish their campaign on the planet. Sure, she didn't like meditating, but she was willing to do it if it helped her friend be at ease.

"Finally." She muttered as the column reached the end of a curve, revealing a Republic forward operating base as it came into view. Maybe she might finally get a minute of rest and massage her sore feet, but that's when she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind.

"Ahsoka!" Her master shouted. She turned to find both Anakin and Rex exiting a hatch from one of the walkers and walked, no, scratch that, jogged to her position. She soon found herself perplexed when she saw a Karisian Elder and Threepio also exit the same walker and started walking down towards the rear of the column, not even sparing a glance at her.

"Yes, master?" Ahsoka asked as both men halted in front of her.

"We don't have any intel on the stronghold's defenses and heavy anti-air emplacements have made it impossible to get an aerial reconnaissance of the area. So I'm assigning you and Rex to scout it out from a vantage point." Anakin answered. He soon grew uncomfortable when he added "I'll send you the coordinates, but when you reach the site, you'll need to wear a mask since the air around it is toxic."

 _Of course, leave it to Anakin to needlessly worry about me._ She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but she had the feeling that he was hiding something from her. But it didn't matter, he already gave her enough information to not get herself killed by foul air. "Leave it to me master." She answered proudly, before turning to Rex, "Come on Rexster, those droids aren't going to blast themselves."

"Well, sometimes they do, sir." Rex countered half-jokingly. Ahsoka grinned before turning away from him and walked towards the rear of one of the AT-TE walkers. It's good to hear Rex's good old sense of humor, even if what he said was more or less a fact.

The walker's aft elevator was already extended, brandishing two All-Terrain Recon Transports. The bipedal walkers were new, as were the markings of the 501st which meant that Ahsoka would have the pleasure to break them in. She mounted the one to her left and hit the ignition key, turning the walker into its upright position. When she saw Rex mount his and turn it on, she trotted off into the woods.

* * *

Rex was worried that the general had ordered him to go scouting, especially at this part of the invasion. He needed to be with the 501st, his men, to make sure they're prepared and combat ready. When he brought up his objection with the General, he refused and said that this needed to be done quickly before the droids reorganized and dug in. And by quick of course, he meant him and Ahsoka since Fives is currently occupied at other more important tasks. Rex conceded when he saw that the General was right and that furthering delaying the attack will cause more casualties on their side, something he vowed will never happen again.

He trusted Skywalker, not because he was his General, but because he was his friend, yet, he couldn't help but worry about his own brothers. How many would fall before this invasion ended? How many clones are dying right this moment all around the galaxy? How many times will he hear the screams of agony and death that perfectly reflected his own?

"Rex, are you alright?" he heard over his comm. _Kriff, I zoned out again during a mission. Not good._ Rex swiveled his head to the right to find Ahsoka a few meters ahead of him on his right side. He lifted his right arm to respond through his built-in wrist comlink.

"I'm fine, Commander Tano." He automatically responded before he cringed. She'll probably call him out on it considering how often he said it when he was clearly injured, let it be by a blaster bolt through his chest or getting almost cleaved in two by general Grievous.

"Fine, right." He heard Ahsoka's voice through his helmet. He knew the Commander wouldn't let him off the leash this time and she'll probably reprimand him for it, so he steeled himself for it. "Rex, listen. I know the war's been affecting you. Especially what happened in Umbara. I can sense your distress over your men over a kilometer away." Of course, it didn't help that he's been worrying for them nonstop ever since they left the column. "When we return to the Resolute, meet me at my quarters. I want to teach you something that will help you ease your mind." She said and Rex saw her take a quick look at him.

 _That's certainly unexpected…_ But something about it made him think. _Quarters, something that will ease my mind?_ Rex soon grew uncomfortable, he needed more information.

"What do you mean with 'something', commander?" he asked with a slight ting of nervousness.

"Meditation, of course." She responded with confusion clearly evident in her voice.

"I, eh, thought you disliked meditation." Rex said, suddenly feeling like an utter imbecile for his stray thought of that 'something'. _How could I think of that? Especially when it comes to Ahsoka!_

"I do, but if it helps you retain peace within yourself, I'll be willing to teach you Rex." Ahsoka declared. She will actually do it for him? Rex could still remember of the times she would go and vent in Torrent Company about how meditation was 'stupid' and 'unproductive' in the first year of the war.

"I…" he exhaled before continuing, "Thank you, Commander". He didn't know how meditation worked but he'd learned through the HoloNet that it's supposed to be a calming experience.

"Any time, Rex. Any time." She replied back to him before they both fell in a comfortable silence. The trip took well over an hour before they came upon a ridge, and beyond it, the biggest tree Rex had ever seen. It was as stall as the ones he'd seen in Maridun but thicker. It definitely matched the description that Karisian Elder gave them. Dark purple trunk, blue leaves, and on top of a hill that overlooks the plains. Ahsoka let out a low whistle as she took in the sight.

Rex dismounted his walker and approached the edge of the ridge in a crouched position. A second later, Ahsoka appeared at his side, brandishing her Jedi-issued binoculars from her backpack. They didn't come all this way just to carelessly walk into an ambush. Rex activated his zoom function on his helmet and began scanning the landscape in front of him. Forests surrounded the hill, yet the hill itself was devoid of them. Instead, it was peppered with protruding rocks and outcroppings which is good if they ever needed to find cover. He could see a white powdery substance emanating from the pods in the tree and dissipating into the air.

Pheromones.

"Commander, I advise you to wear your mask when we get off this ridge. The entirety of the forest surrounding the hill is contaminated." Rex told Ahsoka while he still scanned the area.

"Roger roger." She mockingly acknowledged it before asking, "What's this stuff anyway?"

At this, Rex turned to her and spoke, "Pheromones, the Karisian Elder said something about this being a 'Great Tree of Fertility', and that the substance may hinder us in our mission." He pointed a finger at her and added, "Which is why, you must wear your mask. The filters in my helmet will protect me."

"Right, wouldn't want you kissing me." She jokingly replied as she rolled her eyes. Rex once again grew uncomfortable when he remembered his idiotic assumption of Ahsoka's intentions in helping him. "So, have you seen any droids?" Ahsoka asked as she took her binoculars and scanned the landscape. Eager to deprive himself of that shameful memory, he activated his zoom function and quickly scanned the hill, only to find what he was looking for.

* * *

"Spotted some movement at the base of the tree, droids." Rex reported. Ahsoka zoomed in over the tree and, true to Rex's word like always, slim and mechanical figures could be spotted among the rocks. "Looks like two squads worth of clankers and a dwarf spider droid."

"We've fought worse, let's not keep the 501st and those droids waiting." She said as she stood up, replacing her binoculars with a transparent respirator. After she fastened and secured it, she spoke, "I'll draw fire from them while you pick them off." Rex gave his nod in approval before they began sprinting down the ridge and into the woods.

It only took a few minutes of running until they reached the bottom of the hill where the tree resided in. Ahsoka briefly felt a tingling and numbness in her lekku, but as soon as that feeling came it was gone, so she just shrugged it off as adrenaline. She stopped just before the forest ended and scanned the tree lines for Rex. He was several meters to her right, taking cover from one of the trees and gazing at her. For some reason she was glad that he was still with her.

"Something wrong Commander?" he inquired.

"Just making sure you're keeping up, Rex." She replied before she unhooked her lightsabers from her belt, ignited them and dashed in.

As Ahsoka made her way uphill, the droids spotted her and began to open fire. She swung her blades and deflected the incoming fire back to her enemies, striking down two battle droids with their own blaster bolts. As she zigzagged along the rocks to keep the droids from striking her, Ahsoka noticed that other droids were being blasted by Rex from behind her. That's when some battle droids shifted in their defensive and focused their fire on him. Ahsoka cursed inwardly when she realized that they had spotted him.

She began to steadily approach the top of the hill, swinging her lightsabers to deflect bolts back at her enemies and using the rocks for cover when the enemy got a bead on her as she tried to get the enemy to pay attention to her. _Rex may have experience, but he's still just a man. I needed to draw fire before he's overwhelmed!_ Ahsoka sliced through a group of droids that got too close as she made her way up to the top of the hill. That's when she saw the spider droid near the tree charge up its cannon, and to her dread she realized that it wasn't aimed at her, but at Rex.

"Rex!" Ahsoka shouted, trying to gain his attention, but it was too late. A second later the sound of a laser cannon discharge was heard, and the large red bolt struck Rex's position. She panicked, not knowing whether Rex was alive or not. _He can't be dead, not Rex!_ Ahsoka soon found the blaster fire to be too much, so she retreated back into one of the protruding rocks to scan the scene.

There, beyond the small crater she saw him, crouched behind a rock, his head between his arms as he tried to shelter himself from the onslaught of the suppressive fire. Ahsoka gripped her lightsabers tighter than before as emotions cursed through her, relief and happiness that he was still alive and kicking, but also another one she had long and well suppressed as was part of her Jedi training.

Anger, pure, unfiltered anger. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at her tight grip of her lightsabers. Calloused, dirty and shaking. She was shaking, but it wasn't that of fear nor sadness, no, it was hatred. _How dare they almost kill Rex? How dare they try to take away my best friend? How dare they try to destroy someone who is very dear to me?!_ She looked up to gaze at his suppressed figure one last time before vaulting over the rock she was hiding in and charged towards the enemy.

The first three droids went down with one quick swing of her lightsaber. Using her foot to pivot herself, she deflected a blaster bolt back against a battle droid and used its blasted body to strike its neighbor by the use of the Force. When the last remaining group of droids abandoned their suppression and turned to fire at her, Rex did not waste any time to reveal himself and shoot back at the enemy.

The next moments became a blur as Ahsoka exerted herself to destroy as many droids as possible to keep them off Rex. She even unnecessarily used the Force to send the remains off the cliff whenever she sliced the droids, and, surprisingly, her throw was a lot stronger than what she remembered. But it didn't matter to her, these droids wanted to kill **her** clone Captain.

That simple thought fueled her determination as she ran towards the spider droid who sat at the top of the hill, trying to take pot shots at Rex. Ahsoka did not stop when she reached the spider droid, instead, she dug in both her lightsaber and shoto on its side and used her gained momentum to vault over its domed head to the other side, splitting the droid in two. But she wasn't done yet when she felt another presence nearby.

Ahsoka spun, bringing her lightsabers to bear on her new target when she heard the all too familiar modulated voice.

"Commander?!" Rex shouted as she stopped her swing a hair's breadth of his neck. Her eyes widened as she realized she had almost decapitated Rex.

"R-Rex?" Ahsoka muttered. She scanned her surroundings only to find the entire droid force destroyed around them.

"It's alright Commander, we're safe." Rex assured her as he holstered his blasters, wary of the lightsabers still near his neck. It took a moment for Ahsoka to recompose herself before she retracted her lightsabers, dropped them to the soft grass and scrutinized her hands. Ahsoka could only stare, lips parted in shock at what she had almost done. "Commander, are you alright?" Rex asked as he placed his right hand on her shoulder.

Her breathing was ragged as she lifted her head to look at his helmeted face. _He is safe, whole, and alive._ _My brave captain survived again._ At those thoughts, Ahsoka shivered as the tingling sensation in her lekku returned in full force, bringing a weird sense of warmth inside her sensitive appendages. She turned to stare at his hand that was holding her as a new and foreign sensation began to take over.

"Rex," she spoke in a soft tone, "I…"

"It's alright Ahsoka, just take it easy. I'll scout the base and contact the General alright?" he assured Ahsoka, who trembled as he spoke her name. The last time Rex said her name was… a long time ago. At that, he let go of her and walked away, skirting around the enormous trunk. Without thinking, she followed him to where he was going, which turned out to be the other side of the hill where one could see the Separatist base.

Ahsoka saw him stand there, comlink at his helmet's modulator as he relayed coordinates and numbers, but none of that mattered to her as she soon found herself craving for his contact again, like she had grown dependent on that small gesture of comfort. Finding her backpack now unbearable to carry, she dropped it onto the grass and approached him.

"Their tanks appear to be disabled, but the droids are try- w-what?" Rex stuttered as Ahsoka embraced him from behind. "Commander, what are you doing?" he asked, but she paid him no mind. She liked the contact, but the plastoid pieces got in the way of his body. Ahsoka couldn't explain it, but she just had the urge to rip away the plates of his armor and feel his warmness. "She's… hugging me, sir." he said with uncertainty in his voice.

 _Why is he still talking to Skyguy?_ she thought with a frown on her face as she tightened her grip, willing him to stop talking to her blasted master.

"Commander, let go of me. This isn't proper!" he ordered in his commanding tone he often used on an uppity shiny.

"Say my name." Ahsoka spoke softly as she rested her head on his backside, cheek pressed on the plastoid plate and arms gripping his armored chest in a vice-like grip, "Say my name and I'll let you go."

"Commander, what has…?" Rex went silent for a few moments before continuing with something akin to fear in his voice, "Ahsoka, please, let go of me."

She savored his words for a moment before she complied and dropped her arms. Rex turned and hunched over to get closer, causing her heartbeat to spike when his gloved hands closed in on her face and fumbled on her mask. He was probably checking up on it, but she had another thing on her mind. His helmeted face. How she longed to see his brown eyes, his buzzed and bleached hair, and his smile. The smile the war had taken from him with its countless battles and horrors which made Ahsoka silently vow to do anything to bring it back.

After fiddling with her mask, he straightened up and raised his right hand again to speak through his comlink.

"General, there's no damage to her mask. It's still pressurized and pumping in clean oxygen." He reported before dropping his arm, "Ahsoka, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine now that you're here, Captain Rexy." She said while emphasizing his rank and nickname. She somehow liked it when he became worried about her.

"Rexy?" He asked incredulously before going silent again for a few moments. His head was tilted to the side, probably listening to Anakin speak inside his helmet. She found it cute, but she soon found herself bereft of his attention and it bothered her to no end.

She took a step towards him, and at that, Rex swung his head back to her and slowly started stepping back. Ahsoka looked at him with a confused glare before she began to approach him in quick steps to intercept him, but she stopped when Rex raised his hand and addressed her, "Commander, it would be wise if you kept your distance." The use of her rank instead of her name irked her like no other but his 'advice' was simply outrageous.

"Why?" Ahsoka asked as she raised her shoulders and put on a sneer on her face, but she didn't find her answer when Rex circled around her and approached the base of the tree. "Hey!"

"Commander, listen to me. Your mental state is being affected by the pheromones." He explained, but Ahsoka was having none of it.

"What are you on about Rex? You said it yourself, my mask is fine! **I'm** fine!" She all but shouted at him. _Why is he pushing me away? Does he not want my help?_ Ahsoka disregarded his previous advice and began to approach him.

"Commander, please." Rex tried to plead while taking a few steps back towards the trunk of the tree. _Again with the rank!_

"Don't call me that!" Ahsoka ordered and from there, she closed the distance that was in between them. Her hands met his armored shoulders, and with that, she pushed him until she heard the plastoid plates come into contact with wood. Rex groaned from the impact and tried to counter her force by pushing back against her shoulders, but it was futile against her Force-augmented strength.

"Ahsoka, don't do this. Stop this now!" He shouted at her, but it fell on deaf montrals.

"Did you think I didn't notice the way you thought about me when we were on our way here?" She asked and Rex seemed taken aback as he suddenly went silent and still. "Go into my quarters and teach you 'something' to ease your mind?" Of course she had sensed his small discomfort in that thought of his, but she had dismissed it on the grounds that it was a stray thought and the fact that he had asked about it, but now, she couldn't take her mind off it.

"Is this the reason you're doing this? Are you upset?" Rex tried to reason, but his reasoning was far from the truth.

"No Rex, I'm not upset. In fact, I was wondering what **your** definition of that 'something' was." She said as she removed her right hand from his shoulder and used it to caress his helmeted face, wishing it was his tanned cheek.

She should've expected it, and she knew him well enough to know that he didn't like wasting time as he shoved her away from him. Ahsoka fell on her back and tried to get up, only for Rex to appear above her and take a hold of her wrists, placing them above her head. She was subdued and vulnerable to him and those facts excited her beyond measure.

"Ahsoka, snap out it!" He shouted once more. "This isn't you!" She scowled at him when she failed to wiggle away from him, but a mischievous idea formed in her head which caused her to give him a grin.

"You know, I wouldn't mind if you held me like this all day long." Ahsoka said softly, drawing out the last three words for him. As soon as she finished speaking, Rex gasped and briefly lost his grip on her wrists, but that was all she needed.

She quickly brought her hand up and began to use the Force to levitate him, drawing him up in the air before hurling him into the tree. His back collided with the tree only to fall rear first into the grass. Ahsoka stoop up from the ground and inspected him while she considered that perhaps she used more force than was necessary in her throw as Rex lay still, sitting against the tree and hunched over to the side. She briefly panicked until she sensed his Force signature still strong.

He blacked out, but considering that he's a clone, he'll likely wake up any moment now, and Ahsoka, like Rex, wasn't one to waste any time. She removed her mask, finding its straps irritating against her aching lekku and dropped it onto the grass. The air was the sweetest smell she ever breathed in and she wondered why she even wore the stupid mask in the first place. With it out of the way, she approached her Captain.

* * *

 _To be continued in chapter 2..._

Updated based on the reviews telling me to shorten the paragraph and made Ahsoka's thoughts less out of character. Chapter 2 **will** come, it's just... taken a bit longer than I anticipated.


	2. Madness

_Blast it!_ Rex screamed inside his head. It felt like it had been split in two… What did he himself get into this time? Commando droids? A Seppie' tank? Or a kriffing Rancor? He didn't get any chance to further wonder about his predicament when he felt someone fumble around his helmet. _Kix? No, must be a shiny medic for him to take so long into removing it._ He heard his helmet depressurize and be partially lifted off his head, and when Rex opened his eyes, he could only see the voice modulator and the ventilation system of his helmet. But that was not all, his nostrils were suddenly invaded by a strange smell. It was sweet, and somehow euphoric.

"Wha-" He tried to speak, but something was shoved into his lips. A canteen? _Kriff,_ his throat was dry and parched, perhaps from barking out orders to his troops. He needed to hydrate and yet no water was coming out of it. He began sucking on the moist and strangely warm surface only for it to get taken away. That's when he heard someone giggle.

"Greedy now, are we?" A feminine, yet familiar voice said. Rex grew still and his eyes widened. Her voice came from right in front of him and now he could feel heavy breathing that matched his own. He had been kissing someone? _Blast it, I just had my first kiss and I didn't notice it?_

"Who are you? Where am I?" He asked, only to be silenced by her as a slim finger was placed on his lips and a hand was pressed on his right rerebrace.

"Shh, there's no need to get bossy now. Remember, I'm the one in charge, Captain." and before he could speak any further, she removed her finger from his lips and the lip contact resumed. Rex felt as if his heart would explode at any moment as he felt the desire to kiss back. Her full lips were warm, soft and also sweet and the sensation was both thrilling and exciting.

 _Could it be... Ceshaa?_ The Togruta patron at 79's would always ask him to dance with her on the dance floor whenever she saw him at the bar. He always turned her down considering he knew kriff about dancing, but she would always insist and reject his brothers' proposals to replace him. It would take a fool to not notice that she was interested in him, and now it seems that she has finally coaxed him into doing it.

 _Her attitude sometimes reminds me of Ahso- No, don't think about her, this is **your** moment. _ With that, he felt her hands snake from his rerebraces to his shoulders and over them, surrounding his neck. Rex could no longer control himself and caved in, returning the kiss and his hands, seemingly having a mind of their own, lifted off the weirdly carpeted floor and found her thighs. The strange odor and the contact with her legs made things more exciting to his predicament and he soon found his body reacting to the sensations. Suddenly the war, his hardships, the General's reckless plans, his splitting headache, and the sore throat didn't matter to him. He was in his own safe heaven, and that's when she broke the kiss and giggled.

"Wow Rexster, you can kiss better than Lux." She said in a coy tone while she caressed his stubbled chin.

"Lux?" he repeated with frown. He knew that name, and he didn't easily forget. _Yes, Lux Bonteri, a Separatist official who denounced Count Dooku and turned pro-Republic during the Onderon insurgency. A known acquaintance of..._ _Wait,_ _did she call me Rexster? Only **she** calls me by _tha- No... no no no!__

Rex quickly lifted his hands from what he hoped to the Force was not who he thought she was and took off his helmet. His eyes widened than ever before and a cold chill ran through his spine as his fears were confirmed when he found himself face to face with General Skywalker's Padawan.

"Ah- Ahsoka?" Rex stuttered, realization dawning on him that he had been kissing Ahsoka this entire time. He dropped his helmet and took in his surroundings, confused about how he got in this situation. _There was a battle, and something happened to her and..._ His brows knitted together as he tried to recall how this happened, but couldn't for the life of him tried moving his legs, but found them pinned as Ahsoka straddled his legs.

"Something wrong, Rex?" she asked before she bent down and kissed the exposed portion of his neck, causing a gasp to escape his lips as foreign, yet pleasing sensations settled in. The rational part of Rex demanded that he stop this and find just what the in the blazes was going on, but another part unknown to him told Rex to simply follow his instincts and enjoy. And to his dismay, that part of him was somehow winning over.

"I... We shouldn't-" He tried to speak but all rational thought left him when she cupped his cheeks with her hands, forcing him to face her completely. Her gaze was feral as her blue eyes were dilated and the chevrons of her montrals and lekku were black, a shade he'd never seen before in her appendages.

"Yes, we should and we will." Ahsoka said softly before she leaned in, and pressed her lips onto his once more. He wanted to break the kiss, to run and hope that the General found them soon, but he didn't have the will to do it. He didn't dare do it. It felt... right. He didn't know what frightened him more, the fact that he was in an intimate contact with his friend and commanding officer, or his seemingly submission to it. And that scent, it was driving him crazy!

Before Rex could stop it, he began to kiss her back with such an enthusiasm and want it blindsided him. His hands, having regained their will, were placed on her waist and held her as he tried to gain the upper hand in the aggressive contact. _Kriff, what am I doing?_ He couldn't believe he was doing this, and with Ahsoka of all people! But he couldn't bring himself to really think about his situation as anticipation and heat welled inside of him.

Rex knew about these sort of intimate contact and what soon followed after, if the Holonet is to be found accurate that is. The logical part of his mind that was earlier screaming at him to stop was not but a faint whisper. This **other** part of his mind had won over, speaking with seductive words that he should disagree with but couldn't. It said to follow his instincts and accept the comfort of his very female commander, and accept he did.

* * *

 _To be continued in chapter 3..._

I know what you're going to say: Yes, this is short. Yes, I'm blue balling you, but there's a remedy for that! The full chapter can be found in Archive of Our Own since there aren't any restrictions there when it comes to explicit stories and I want to play it safe on this site.

/works/7691797/chapters/17523295


	3. Aftermath

Simply put, Anakin was terrified as he raced to Rex and Ahsoka's position in his recon walker, dodging trees and jumping crevices as he went. His last call from Rex and his subsequent talk with the Karisian Elder left no doubt that Ahsoka had been affected by the pheromones. The cause? Her blasted lekku.

When the pheromones were supposed to be subtle and _romantic_ , albeit a bit possessive, it makes a species that sport the lekku aggressive and forceful. He had no doubts of Rex's capabilities, but he stood no chance against Ahsoka. Anakin feared that she would rape the man who he knew was her best friend and partner at arms, shattering their work relationship and friendship.

He brought up his comlink and hailed Rex for what felt like the hundredth time, but after a few moments of silence, something that no longer surprised him, he hung up and returned his hand to the handle. _Almost there, come on!_ Anakin silently urged his walker as it worked on overdrive to bring him closer to their position.

A few minutes later, he stumbled upon a ridge that housed two recon walkers, which meant that they couldn't be far. Knowing them, the area's already clear of droids, so he would not face any danger on the way to the tree.

 _The tree._

Anakin turned his gaze from the pair of walkers to the behemoth that sat on top of the hill, the glow of the sunset beyond it giving it an ominous glow. "I hope I'm not too late." he muttered to himself before he retrieved a mask from his backpack and strapped it on.

He double checked it to be sure that the mask's straps would hold before he turned his walker, started towards the edge of the ridge and jumped off. After a few seconds of air time, the walker landed on the ground in a loud and deep _thump_. When it finished absorbing the rough landing, he drove it through the woods as fast as it could possibly take him.

Moments later, he reached the clearing at the foot of the hill and began to move upwards towards the base of the tree, taking note of the dismembered remains of battle droids. When he reached the top of the hill, he saw no signs of his Captain and Padawan.

Switching off the walker, he jumped off before it could go into its standby position and landed on the incredibly soft grass. Trying to calm himself due to the urgency of the situation, he closed his eyes and began to feel with the Force to find them. That's when he sensed them, at the other side of the tree, together, exhausted and _spent_.

Anakin tightened a fist as regret filled him. _Blast it, I should've left her with the column and accompanied Rex to scout! This is my fault, had I known sooner..._ He shook his head to clear his berating thoughts so as to focus on more pressing matters, like making sure the assault on the base goes as planned.

He braced himself for what he was about to see when he began to walk towards their Force essence. He'd seen clones naked whenever he had to speak with Rex and Fives in the locker rooms, but his Padawan? _Just don't think about it, Padme won't kill you if you see Ahsoka naked._

Then he saw them, laying on the grass, cuddled and as bare as Anakin imagined they would be. Fortunately for his eyes, his Captain had saved Ahsoka's modesty as his arms braced around her chest and waist with loose arms, drawing himself flush against her. What was worrying though, was the fact that they were both _unconscious_ , which meant that he will need a medical team here to check up on them and extract them to the Resolute.

It also meant that the men would see them like _this_.

Sighing, Anakin tore his gaze from them and walked over to the side of the hill, towards the vantage point Rex probably used to communicate information about the base. As Rex had reported before the _incident_ , the droids were deeply entrenched around what would be the 501st's avenue of attack near the tree line where the forests met the grasslands.

He keyed in his comlink, and, soon enough, he saw about a dozen large blue bolts shoot up from the tree lines, before arching and falling downwards towards the base. The fireworks were spectacular as the bolts struck the walled complex, shooting up clouds of dust and debris as the droids scattered for cover in their fortifications. Without any working tanks and shield generators, they won't stand a chance against a Clone strike force aided by artillery fire.

Anakin turned from the burning base to look back at the pair, giving a sigh once more as he closed his eyes, pinched his nose and muttered to himself with resignation clear in his voice, "What am I going to tell Obi-Wan?"

* * *

 _Thirteen standard hours later..._

The first thing Ahsoka sensed when she woke up was pain, and the sterile scent of the cursed medbay. She groaned, propping herself up by her elbow as she sat up on the uncomfortable cot but gave a small yelp when she moved her legs under the covers. _Yup, that's where the pain's coming from… Wait!_ Opening her eyes, she quickly scanned her draped form and thankfully didn't see nor feel any blood on her legs.

She exhaled in relief but shook her head as Ahsoka realized she was wearing the medical garb that always made her uncomfortable. Noticing movement to her left, she turned her eyes and was greeted by the sight of Kix on the side of her cot, his eyes darting from her to the datapad in his hand with a worried expression on his face.

"Hey Kix." she greeted him, wondering just what got her back on the medical bay _again_.

"Commander, how are you doing?" he asked, finally taking his eyes off his datapad to fully look at her, and before she could respond, the door to the hall slid open, revealing a very concerned Anakin.

"Ahsoka, are you alright?" Anakin asked as he stepped in with quick steps and reached her cot, stopping just beside Kix.

 _What's got him riled up?_ She wondered as she sat up on the cot, mindful of the pain in between her legs, and rested her back against the wall before speaking, "I'm in pain, but Kix here can just give me some painkillers and release me so that I can go to my quarters." She really needed to go and get her _lady stash_.

At this, Kix glanced at Anakin before addressing her, "Actually, you're going to have to be specific on where it hurts, sir."At his inquiry, Ahsoka turned to face Kix with a raised eye marking, only to find a solemn expression on his face.

She sighed before returning her gaze to the end of her cot and answered, "I think my menstrual cycle has just begun, my neck hurts, and my lekku is throbbing."

At the corner of her eye, she spied both Anakin and Kix face each other with raised eyebrows. At this peculiar reaction, she turned to face them and let her confusion be shown, but before she could ask, Anakin turned to face her and asked, "Ahsoka, what do you remember of the campaign?"

 _What do I remember?_ Ahsoka tried to recall the events that must've led her to the forsaken place that's Kix and Coric's home, but couldn't. She made a frown and placed the palm of her hand on her forehead before she spoke. "I remember going on a scouting mission with someone, Fives I think, but after that, everything's fuzzy and muddled."

After she finished answering, she turned her gaze to her covered form and closed her eyes, willing the pain to subside by the use of the Force.

She heard a sigh, before the familiar deep baritone reached her montrals, "You're not having your menstrual cycle, Commander." Ahsoka perked up, her eyes snapping open as she looked at Kix with raised eyebrows, but it didn't deter him as he continued. "I've read your medical records," at this, he waved his datapad as he spoke, "and it says that you still haven't found a mate, which means the pain you're experiencing is… that of your first sexual encounter."

* * *

Anakin prepared himself for what was coming, if he even knew what was coming. Her eyes were wide and unfocused as she seemed to digest Kix's analysis, before her eye markings drew together into a frown. Sensing her emotions by the use of the Force, he found her mind to be blank and still, as if the gears inside her head had snapped because of the revelation. He began to worry when, soon enough, he began to sense both despair and anger building up as her hands tightened into fists and her jaw began to work.

There was a storm brewing inside her, one that was dangerous for a Force sensitive, especially a young female Padawan. Anakin, knowing where her mind was taking her, took a knee to bring himself at her level and placed a hand on her shoulder before speaking. "You weren't… violated, Ahsoka."

"W-what?!" Ahsoka stammered out almost aggressively as she shrugged off his hand and shuffled on the bed to gain some distance from them. She gave a pointed glare at the both of them but Anakin could feel the storm inside of her hadn't eased as he'd hoped and her eyes were filled with uncertainty.

He sighed before he spoke, knowing that he needed to be as direct as possible and not needlessly drag this out. "You weren't assaulted, but… you forced yourself onto another."

Ahsoka's mouth parted as her gazed stun permeated him, but soon enough she covered her mouth with a hand and began to quiver. She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose as she started to bubble with laughter, something that made Anakin's eyebrows hit his hairline and turn to Kix for help. His medic's face was in a grimace as he locked eyes with his General, also not sure what to do.

"Are- are," she gasped as she took a deep breath, "-is this some kind of sick joke, master?" Her laughter was teary, as the tears that were held back were shed and she was quick to clean them with both hands as she stared incredulously at her master. Ahsoka stopped, however, when her gaze became fixated on the space between them and pulled a frown.

"Rex?" Ahsoka asked under her breath as her eyes grew wide and threw the covers away in an attempt to get up, only to be stopped by Anakin as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders. She scowled and narrowed her eyes at him, but he couldn't blame her. Rex lay in a cot similar to Ahsoka's on the other side of the room and she was always at his side when he was injured, just like he was at Ahsoka's side when it was _her_ on the cot.

"Let. Me. Go." Ahsoka hissed out as she gripped his forearms and tried to pry his hands off her.

"Just one moment Ahsoka, please." Anakin pleaded, hoping that she at least stop for _one_ moment and hear him out.

"What happened to him?" Ahsoka asked as she reluctantly stilled under his grip and dropped her arms to her sides, but still kept her frown on him.

Anakin snorted in agitation. "You…" He hesitated before continuing as he looked directly into her eyes for her to see that he wasn't joking around. "Forced yourself onto him."

Once again, she was driven speechless as she stared at the Captain's prone form on the other side of the room. It took her a few moments of silence before she drifted her eyes back to Anakin and said in a low tone. "I didn't, kriff I wouldn't!"

"No," Anakin cut her off, "you wouldn't. It was the pheromones."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow as she responded, "Pheromones?"

"You don't remember at all?"

"Of course not master! And violating Rex, what's gotten into your head?" She shouted, her sneer and frown frustrating him.

 _She's in denial._ Anakin realized and before he could deliver a sharp retort, he heard a low groan from behind him. _Kriff, not now!_ Distracted by the sound, Ahsoka managed to slip out of his grasp and threw herself out of the bed. She took slow steps to Rex's cot, almost limping to his side and stopped when she reached him.

* * *

Rex propped himself up on his elbows, his hand on his forehead as he shook it. She stared at him intently, trying to forget the absurdities Anakin had told her and wishing that this bizarre dream ended. When his hand fell to his lap, his brown eyes found hers and he smiled. "Hey, kid."

"How are you feeling Rex?" She inquired, a smile of her own creeping up to her face as she noticed that he seemed oddly relaxed and his smile hadn't faded like it usually did.

"I'm fine, Commander." Rex responded and stretched his arms out in front of him, causing her gaze to momentarily slide across his muscles. "I feel like ne- nrgh!" he grunted when he tried to pop his neck, his fingers going immediately to trace a bruise near his bare shoulder.

 _No, not a bruise_. Ahsoka realized as she inspected the marks of sharp teeth. Her hand absentmindedly came up to touch her own mark as she tried to piece the puzzle together.

"Something wrong? Were you… crying?" Rex asked, his brows pursing upwards and his forehead wrinkled which caused Ahsoka to snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh, no, this… don't worry about it Rex." Ahsoka responded. She could still feel the wetness under her eyes which made her cheeks heat up and the stripes of her lekku darken in embarrassment.

"How're you feeling Captain?" Kix asked as he stood beside Ahsoka, almost making her jump as she hadn't heard him approach. When did she get so distracted that she couldn't sense him? His eyes were glued to the datapad rather than looking at Rex, his patient, which was strange.

Rex's eyes swept from Ahsoka to Kix as he answered, "Sore back, and there's a bruise in my neck, but other than that, I'm functional." Her eyes turned to Kix as he nodded and tapped the _Release_ button in his datapad.

"You're free to go, sir." He announced, his eyes not straying from the 'pad.

Rex exhaled and removed his covers which made Ahsoka look elsewhere as he wasn't wearing a medical garb like her, only his rather tight underwear. Not that she noticed they were tight. He made to sit on the edge of the bed until he noticed Skywalker's presence in the room. At this, he stood up and straightened, his movements sharp and firm as he saluted his General.

"General Skywalker, sir!"

"At ease, Rex." Anakin said before glancing at Ahsoka and adding, "You're dismissed Captain, return to your duties."

"Yes, sir." He said in a crisp tone before looking back at her for a split second and then left the room. As soon as the door slid shut behind him, both Anakin and Kix turned in unison to look at Ahsoka, which caused her to sigh.

"Master, I-." She tried to speak but was cut off by Anakin.

"Ahsoka, listen," Anakin said his tone sharp, "if you don't believe us, you can always look at the… evidence."

She shook her head and crossed her arms before repeating, "Evidence?"

At this, Anakin tucked his hand in a pouch on his robe and extracted a data rod. "I should give this to the Jedi Council for them to review, but I was planning on deleting it at your word." He explained as he held it out to her.

Ahsoka looked at it with apprehension before she reluctantly lifted her arm and took it in her palm. She just wanted to leave, to go to her room and recollect her thoughts. It's too much.

"May I go now, master?" She pleaded as she once again crossed her arms, her gaze on the floor.

It took some moments before she heard Kix speak. "You're clear to go, Commander."

She darted around them and exited the room, her steps quick as the only thing she had on her mind was her quarters.

* * *

 _The next cycle_ …

Captain Rex sauntered towards the mess hall, his steps slow and almost swaggering. Although he wasn't able to write a full report due to the memory lapse in the last mission, he couldn't find the will to worry about it. It was strange, he'd never acted this way before, as if things were going to go _his_ way for a change.

When he reached the portal to the mess hall, the door slid open, revealing the packed room full of brothers eating their breakfast. Rex walked onwards to collect his grub, and when he did so, he found the table his closest brothers were sitting on. When Rex reached the table, he plopped down his tray on it and sat beside Jesse who he shared a nod with.

That's when Fives, Kix and Coric stood up simultaneously, grabbed their trays, and left the table. Stunned, Rex called out, almost chuckling. "Fives, what's the matter?"

Fives, turned slightly and said "Oh, we've already finished Captain. We're heading back to… the gymnasium! Excuse me, sir." And before Rex could ask him to stay, he ran to catch up with Kix and Coric who were already nearing the exit.

Rex exhaled before turning to Jesse and asked. "What's that all about?"

He shrugged before saying "Got me, Capt'n."

Rex looked back at the closed door until he shook his head and decided to dig into his food. "So, 79's tonight?" He asked after swallowing a mouthful of nerf steak. They'll soon be in Coruscant in a couple of hours to dock and resupply, which meant that they'll have a few days of leave.

He heard a snort at his side before he heard Jesse speak. "But of course, hells, I may even beat you this time Capt'n."

Rex turned to regard Jesse with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk before challenging him in a low tone. "We'll see about that." This earned a chuckle from Jesse as Rex turned back to his food and wondered just what got his brothers to leave like that.

* * *

I haven't planned much beyond the smut and I have no idea where I'm going this story, but let's see where it's taking us.


	4. A Night at the Bar

_2000 hours._

Ahsoka lay slumped in her cot, her right forearm resting on her forehead and her left hand mindlessly rubbing her navel. She'd stayed like this ever since the debriefing with the Council ended and she was allowed to rest in her personal quarters inside the Temple. Thankfully, the pain in between her legs had faded and she'd managed to not show her thoughts and emotions when she was at the presence of the twelve Jedi Masters that made up the High Council, but as soon as she'd entered her quarters, her mind turned into what seemed like a battlefield.

When did she lose her peace? Right, _Skyguy._ Ever since that episode in the Medbay, she couldn't keep her mind from wanting to gut itself apart. Ahsoka lost count of how many times she tried to wake up from this infernal nightmare to no avail. Sometimes, she chuckled, and other times she cringed whenever she thought of what Anakin had told her in the previous cycle.

 _You… forced yourself onto him._ Her mind kept repeating like some corrupted Holovid. What made things even more frustrating was the fact that she couldn't remember anything of this ridiculous ' _assault'_. But of course, there was Anakin's _evidence_ …

She turned her head to the side and her gaze met the field backpack on the other side of the dark room. Exhaling, Ahsoka sat up on the cot, her knees bent as she braced her arms around them and stared at her backpack.

A part of her is just wishing that if she saw what was in that datarod, it would just be Anakin telling her it's a prank and calling her a fool to believe it. Her mouth twisted into a smile but she scowled, taking in the comfort of the humor and the outrage in that mental image before the reality of her situation settled in her mind once more. She should just get this over with.

Ahsoka stood up and took a few steps before reaching her backpack and opened it, revealing her hygienic possessions and the datarod Anakin had given her the day before. Retrieving it, she retreated back to her cot and grabbed the holoprojector that lay discarded beside it. She inserted the datarod and the device hummed to life.

She took a deep breath before she pressed the button to show the datarod's contents. Cyan light and shapes emerged from the disc followed by the distorted sound of blaster fire, explosions and soon the translucent figure of an armored man holding a pair of DC-17s exchanging fire with an unseen enemy. After her initial confusion quickly faded, she realized that the footage she was looking at was that of a Clone Trooper's, or rather, Rex's built-in holorecorder. She'd all but forgotten the clones recorded their missions.

He had reached the top of a hill when she witnessed herself splitting a dwarf spider droid in two, her poise and acrobatics rougher and not as graceful as she'd remembered when she watched the holos of her own training. Ahsoka's eyes widened and she jerked upwards when her lightsabers swung for Rex's head, only to stop when he cried out her name and stopped.

She couldn't see herself clearly because of the hologram, but she took note that her lekku looked swollen and twitched every now and then. She'd never seen them like that and Ahsoka briefly remembered what Anakin had said. _Something about pheromones…_

Rex had said some words that she didn't catch before moving off and leaving her projected form there. She looked so lost. Like a child looking for their parent in a marketplace. Once he reached his destination and stopped, Rex manipulated his helmet's zoom function and held an arm in front of his head.

If it had been a research holovid Rex would've no doubt given her to know how to operate on a battlefield, Ahsoka would've been bored out of her mind, but this time had her heart racing and her muscles tensing up. Then the attack came followed by Rex's pleading, but it soon changed when she removed his helmet. This time, he was compliant, more than that in fact and her hands tightened on the holoprojector as she couldn't look away from the illicit act. She watched the rest of the holovid in silence, and when it finished, the holoprojector shut off in its power-saving mode and Ahsoka was bathed in darkness.

Her jaw was slack, her eyes were widened and she didn't need to see to know that the patterns of her lekku were darkened. The things they- _she_ did was… Ahsoka had no words for it. And worse for her mind, Anakin's reveal of her state had been replaced with images of Rex and herself in that holovid.

Ahsoka turned her gaze to her arm and brought her hand to it, rubbing roughly where she had taken her contraceptive shot the month before. Jedi aren't allowed to have children due to the natural attachment it would create between the parents and the child, not to mention the actual attachment the parents would have to conceive one.

Because of this, they were subjected to a long lasting contraceptive whenever they were due to their check-up in the temple's medical bay. Oddly enough, Anakin _always_ avoided those and would manage to get himself back in the Outer Rim before they got ahold of him.

Ahsoka sighed before she ejected the datarod from the holoprojector and snapped it in two. If someone else ever saw what was in that holovid, then she would be reassigned and she didn't even want to know what they would do to Rex. _Reconditioning_? Ahsoka shuddered at that thought. _She_ was the one at fault, but she doubted GAR Command would see it that way.

No one else should know about this, but Anakin knew, and he couldn't of had single-handedly gotten them to the Resolute's medbay without help, which meant that there would be others who also _knew._ With that thought, Ahsoka scrambled for her comlink and stood up as she keyed in Anakin, who answered surprisingly fast than what she was used to.

"Skywalker here"

"Meet me at my room." Ahsoka said curtly before she cut off the link and brought her arms around her to ward off the sudden chill that crept up to her spine. She crossed the room multiple times in what seemed like forever before she heard the chime of her door. She quickly walked over to it and hit the switch for the door to slide open, revealing her own master holding two cups of caff.

She motioned him inside and he stepped through the darkened room before she realized something important. Humans can't see well in the darkness. Mentally kicking herself, Ahsoka flicked her hand up and turned up the brightness of the lights of her room through the use of the Force. Anakin had set the cups down just beside her pallet and took a seat on it but Ahsoka declined when he motioned her to do the same.

His gaze fell on the holoprojector and the destroyed datarod before he exhaled and spoke up. "I'm sorry Ahsoka."

Her eye markings rose up in surprise and she shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for, master."

"I should've known something like this would've happened. I should've pressed that elder for more information!"

"Master!" she yelled with a scowl on her face and Anakin snapped his mouth shut, "What's done is done. Don't give yourself hell for nothing. I called you here to… know who else knows about _this."_

Anakin exhaled and stroked his forehead with a hand when he answered. "Fives, Kix and Coric. I told the rest men you two were wounded when the medics took the both of you in stretchers and hauled to the Resolute."

Her eyes widened a fraction before she frowned. She didn't want to know how those three reacted, especially since they would follow the both of them to hell and back. Ahsoka knew they deeply cared for her wellbeing and basically idolized Rex for his selflessness, and now, she didn't know what they thought of them now.

A sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes and brought a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose to stem the headache that was beginning to form. A moment passed before Ahsoka opened her eyes and addressed her master. "Rex has to know."

At this, Anakin stood up and his frown deepened. "Ahsoka, Rex might not take it well. I know you didn't. Will he even believe you?"

"I don't know master, but he **has** to know! I-" she paused and lowered her voice. "It doesn't feel right. Blast, I made him do it. I basically…" Ahsoka trailed off as she couldn't bring herself to say it. She made Rex breathe these 'pheromones' to have her way with him. He didn't know and that fact just made this entire situation worse, except… _Does he really have to know?_

It seemed wrong to her. Ahsoka couldn't go with impunity for this and yet she valued Rex's friendship. If she came up to him about this situation, wouldn't Rex's view of her turn foul? Will he ever discover what happened? Will he resent her for not telling him? She needed to know how much he knew.

"Ahsoka." Anakin spoke up suddenly and she was brought back to reality. "I don't want you to tear yourself up over this. I know this… situation is difficult for you."

Ahsoka gave a small smile when she answered. "Thanks master." A sigh came to her and she straightened her shoulders. "I should still speak to him."

"I understand." Anakin said before he nodded towards the abandoned cup of caff beside him. "The caff's getting cold."

Ahsoka smirked, giving Anakin a thank you before taking the cup and exited her quarters alongside him. After they said their goodbyes, she headed towards one of the temple's landing platforms and from there, the barracks of the 501st Legion.

* * *

 _2100 hours._

Rex exited the cab along with Jesse and stepped onto the busy platform in front of 79's. He adjusted the cap on his head and checked his gray uniform for any wrinkles before turning to Jesse who was having a rather heated debate with the driver.

"Lose your credits?" Rex asked as be placed his hands on his hips and quirked an eyebrow when Jesse turned to give him a sheepish grin.

"No, just short of a few." Jesse responded and Rex sighed. He picked an ingot from his pocket and handed it to the tattooed clone before turning towards the cantina and walked towards it. The platform was somewhat empty with the only clones he could see being the Coruscant Guard acting as the military police.

Jesse came jogging to his side and Rex spoke, "Come on brother, it's bad enough that I have to pay your tab. You could at least pay for the taxi."

Jesse matched his stride but his eyes were downcast and his arms were crossed when he answered. "Yeah yeah, I know. I swear that shinie was cheating. He basically robbed me blind!"

"You just don't want to admit that you've found your match in Sabacc." Rex said with a smirk, "The only one who can defeat you is Ahsoka and she's a _Jedi_."

"He's not my match! I'll show it to him." He brought a hand to stroke his chin as he continued, "I'll have to unveil some old tricks of mine if I want to catch him off guard."

By the time Jesse began listing off some strategies and Rex had tuned him out, they had entered the building and were nearing the bar. As always, the cantina was full of clones – this time of the 501st Legion - with the odd non-clone and alien patron here and there. When the both of them had taken their seats and were served their first round of drinks, Rex spotted someone he's been meaning to have a talk with.

He set the cast-plast cup down and made to stand up, only for Jesse to grab on to his forearm. Rex looked at him with raised eyebrows as Jesse took a quick peek behind him and then made eye contact with him.

"Don't blast it up." Jesse spoke slowly and softly, and Rex gave him a smile.

"I'll try not to." He answered before Jesse let go of his arm and nodded. Rex made his way through the mingling clones who were either raising their cups in toasts, dancing, or flirting with the female patrons. Rex found it odd when he spotted Fives, Kix and Coric huddled together in one of the tables since they were normally with the others. He caught of Coric's gaze briefly before Rex himself broke it to return to focus on his objective. He made a mental note to speak with them to find out what was going on that made them so distant.

When he soon reached his target, Rex found himself face to face with Ceshaa, who turned to regard him with her eye-markings drawn together in a frown. Understanding her confusion, he removed his cap and her eyes softened before she crossed her arms and gave him what he hoped was a mock glare. Thankfully, he noticed the faint signs of a smirk at the corner of her mouth.

"Do you need something, trooper?" the bright-bronze colored Togruta inquired. At her inquiry, Rex took a deep breath through his nose to ask his own question.

"Excuse me, would you… like-to-dance?" His voice came almost at a rush when he voiced the second half of his question and he inwardly cringed. _Smooth one Rexster._ He could hear Ahsoka say inside his head. Ceshaa said nothing, instead, she puckered her lips and looked elsewhere as if she was either thinking it over, or was simply disinterested with the question.

She turned towards her friend, another female Togruta, and cocked her head. The other woman too crossed her arms over her chest before running her eyes over from his boots to his hair but also said nothing. When her 'inspection' was complete, she met Ceshaa's gaze, quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. This time, Ceshaa couldn't hold the smile that was now breaking across her face and chuckled when she turned to Rex, grabbed his forearm in a tight grip and pulled him towards the dance floor.

The dance floor itself was packed tonight by clones and non-clones, which meant that they did not have a lot of space. But still, Ceshaa and Rex squeezed through the crowd to find a small clearing for themselves. Knowing what was about to happen, Rex steeled himself to not embarrass himself as he tucked in his cap in the waistband of his trousers and took a deep breath. The beat and rhythm of the music was mercifully easy for him to follow as he pumped his arms into the air and swayed his hips while looking at Ceshaa's own moves to see her own swaying and gracefulness.

* * *

"Please tell me you're recording this!" Flak yelled to Jesse over the sound of the heavy beats, his grin reaching for the stars as he stared at the Captain of the famous 501st Legion who was _dancing_.

"Oh, believe I am!" replied Jesse who was angling the holorecorder on the ledge of the balcony on the second floor to perfectly capture Rex's moment on the dance floor.

"She'll take him home alright! I think I'll have to crash at a friend's place tonight." Said Tadee as she leaned over the railing to look at her fellow Togruta with the blonde haired clone. Her roommate had her eyes glued to this particular clone for the last few months and it looks like she'll finally have him for the night. Ceshaa was a huntress at heart, and when she wanted something _,_ she got it.

"You know," said Jesse when he finally found a good angle of the stage, "had we known about your friend's resilience, we would've hel-"

"What's Rex doing?" a similar voice spoke and a bearded clone wedged himself through Flak and Jesse to stare down wide-eyed at the spectacle below.

"What Rex is doing, Fives, is getting himself a woman tonight!" Jesse said, animated at the prospect of his stern and stoic Captain letting loose in _other_ ways than getting drunk.

Fives stayed silent as he stared down with a frown before he turned and hastily walked towards the stairs. He didn't notice the collective confusion that he caused among the occupants of the balcony.

* * *

Rex did not know for how long they danced, but one thing was clear: it was _fun_. When the track finally ended, he was left panting and sweaty and Rex could tell his partner was in a similar state by the quickened rise of her bosom.

"Seeing something interesting, Captain?" he heard Ceshaa say and he quickly averted his eyes elsewhere as he felt his face heat up.

"I- uhh… it's just that the dance was…" he trailed off and brought a hand to stroke the nape of his neck, not daring to look at her in the eye.

Ceshaa chuckled before she brought her hands to her hips and cocked her head. Thankfully, she seemed to take mercy on him. "Energetic?"

Rex nodded and he motioned to the bar. "I was planning on drinking with a brother, but if you're fre-"

"Of course! I'm actually dying of thirst right now." she said with excitement as she led the way to the bar and Rex followed. They spent the next hour in a booth, chatting and drinking to their hearts' content when he felt Ceshaa lean on him.

"You know," she said with a drawly voice, something that might have to do with the rounds of shots that lying about on the table, "My apartment's not far and I might need a trooper like you to escort me to safety."

Although Rex was a bit tipsy himself, though not as drunk as his partner, he clearly understood her meaning. His heart raced as she laid her hand on his chest and his cheek was pressed against her montral. _This is it._

"It would be my pleasure, ma'am." He responded as he stood up and took her hand to steady her as she followed his lead. That's when _Fives_ showed up.

"Rex," he called as he stepped up beside him, "I need to talk to you."

He tensed as he looked over to his confused partner who was holding on to him and then shifted his gaze back to Fives. "Uh, sure, what do you need to talk about?"

His gaze went to Ceshaa before landing on Rex. "I'll rather talk to you alone, one on one."

"Oh… I see." Rex said almost reluctantly, but that was when another one of his brothers showed up.

"Fives, hey Fives!" Jesse came up seemingly out of nowhere and brought his arm around Five's shoulder, almost bringing the bearded clone down. Five's eyebrows rose up in surprise and he opened his mouth, only for Jesse to beat him to the punch. "Listen brother, there's this lass you have to meet!"

Yet another brother, this one he knew as Flak, came up and grasped Five's arm with both hands. "Yeah, you have to see her!" he added as they both dragged him away from the heavily confused pair.

"Have fun you two!" Jesse yelled over his shoulder before they were lost beyond the multitude of clones. They both stood there, stunned, before Ceshaa began to giggle and Rex lightly chuckled at the turn of events before he felt her tug his arm towards the exit. He looked down at her and the smile that was on her face spoke of mischief, one that he mirrored, so he obliged.

* * *

Both Jesse and Flak dragged their resisting brother across the cantina and into a booth, where threw him onto one of the cushioned seats. "What was that for?!" Fives demanded as he sat up on the chair and scowled at his brothers.

"Do you know what you were about to do?" asked Jesse, his normally laid back demeanor gone as he crossed his arms and glared at him.

Fives's eyebrows rose up. "I was ab-"

"You were going to stop the Captain from scoring tonight." Jesse interrupted. "His first, mind you. You know our motto when we come here."

Fives sighed as he looked downcast towards the table. "No brother blocks another's success." The trio recited, Fives's a resigned tone while both Jesse and Flak were both crisp and clear. "I didn't realize I was about to… block the Captain. Forgive me." Fives said as he put his elbow on the table and grabbed a fistful of his hair.

Jesse brought his arms to his sides as did Flak and he spoke in a soft tone. "Don't worry, just don't let it happen again Fives. Have a good night." At that, they left him in the booth to rejoin the others who were already leaving the cantina. Knowing that he too had duties tomorrow, Fives stood up from the couch and headed towards the exit. If anything, it should be the Commander who should tell him.

* * *

 _To be continued..._

I swear I read up on somewhere that Togruta can see clearly in the darkness.


End file.
